Magician's Curse
by DC4U
Summary: AU-slash RLSB (with some LEJP) :: A dark Mage has threatened the Kingdom of Amicus. A cursed boy fights for his life. A prince fights for the one he loves. A princess fights for her freedom. A knight fights for what he believes in.
1. The Cursed One

Title: The Magician's Curse

Author: Better in Red

Rating: PG-13

Category: Romance/General

A/N: This is an AU , SLASH story, with a not-so-accurate take on characters and a totally cliché, overly used, worn out storyline. But I loiffs it ;

**Chapter One: The Cursed One**

"But-"

"I'm sorry, but you're father has already summoned him. He'll be arriving tomorrow morning. Please, dearest, try to give him a chance. A liaison between the Kingdoms is desperately needed now. It is not a time to stand alone when one is threatened by darkness, even if one _is _an entire Kingdom."

"So have Petunia marry him."

"Lily, you know full and well that your sister is already engaged."

The redhead sighed, before falling defeated onto her bed. Her mother was still looking at her with anxious brown eyes.

"Fine," she mumbled, causing a smile to spread upon her mother's face. "I'll meet this stupid prince. But you tell daddy I'm still mad at him for arranging this whole marriage. And I swear I'll feed this Sirius fellow to the dogs if he turns out to be an ass like the last one."

"Lily!" the queen scolded her daughter. "Such language is _not_ proper for someone of your stature."

Queen Rose watched with well practiced patience as her eighteen year old daughter rolled her emerald green eyes.

"Yes, mother."

"Now, I must be going," Rose stated, bending down to give her daughter a quick kiss on the forehead, before leaving the room.

Lily quickly pushed herself up and off her bed. She rushed over to her bedroom window and slid it open. Poking her head out, her eyes fell upon a tawny haired young man, standing on a small alcove just below the window and holding very tightly to a thick vine that twined upward from the ground.

"Fancy meeting you here," she said casually, crossing her arms on the window sill and grinning down at him.

The young man scowled up at her, before reaching a hand up to grab the window ledge. Still smiling, Lily helped him up through the window and into her room, quickly moving to lock her bedroom door before saying anything else.

"Sorry about that, Remus," Lily said, turning to face her friend again. "We need to find a better place for you to hide when mother pop's in unexpectedly."

"It's okay," he said, taking a seat on one of the chairs near a small tea table. Lily pulled the one opposite him out and joined him. "What did the Queen want?"

Lily huffed and crossed her arms, earning her an inquisitive raise of the eyebrow from her friend.

"A Prince Sirius is coming to visit tomorrow," she explained.

"Another suitor," he stated, gold-brown eyes alight with understanding.

"Yeah." She sighed softly.

"Maybe you'll actually like this one," Remus offered with a small shrug.

"Or maybe I could runaway! And I could become a merchant, or a pirate. I'd bring you with me of course," Lily said excitedly, with a strange glint to her eyes. "We could leave tonight!"

"Not one of your better ideas, your highness," he said with an apologetic look.

"I suppose it would be difficult to transform on a ship with an entire crew aboard," Lily said dejectedly.

"Aye." Remus stared down at the table, the same defeated tone in his voice.

Lily studied his face and the closed look in his eyes; she worried for her friend; he seemed to get weaker and more withdrawn with every transformation.

"We'll find a way to break the curse," Lily said suddenly with determination she didn't know she had felt. "One day, we'll find this Marvolo fellow and make him fix what he's done." And she meant it.

Remus didn't say anything and simply stared out the window until he felt Lily's hand upon his own, giving him a gentle yet comforting squeeze.

"The sun'll be setting soon. I should get going," he said, standing up.

"Alright, let me just grab my cloak."

"You're still coming?" he asked, a bit surprised.

"Of course, don't I always?" She said offhandedly.

"Well… I mean… I thought… don't you have to be here in the morning for when the Prince comes?"

"I'm always back before anyone knows I'm gone. And if he arrives _that_ early, you know as well as I that Dumbledore always covers for us. Shall we then?" Lily asked, shrugging the cloak on so that it concealed her identity.

Remus smiled.

"Thanks, Lils," he said, offering her his hand and helping her out first onto the vine that clung thickly to the castle wall.

* * *

"So, when do you have to leave?" James asked his friend. Sirius raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"We leave bright and early tomorrow morning," the young prince replied.

"We?" James queried.

"Yes. We: You, me and Peter."

"I was rather hoping you'd say it was just you and your uncle."

"You aren't scared of a little princess are you?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"She's a mean, vile, and probably ugly old witch who has scared three former suitors into celibacy. Yes, I'm a little frightened."

"And you're supposed to be my brave and loyal knight! Rumors, Jamie. That's all they are."

James snorted. "And I'm to believe you didn't try to back out of the arrangement? Considering the, um, type of company you keep? Or are you trying to be a proper Prince now, so that no one finds out?"

Sirius scowled, but James could still detect the slight pink coloring on his cheeks. He smirked triumphantly, earning him a death glare from his friend who decided to play it off.

Sirius seemed to regain himself. "Even with my preferences as they are, I see this as a challenge. And I, Sirius Orion Black, heir to Sir King Alphard's throne, am not scared of a challenge or anyone. Let alone, some prissy princess."

James' smirk widened.

"So you did try to get out of it, but your uncle said you had to go."

"Beg and pleaded with me to let him stay," another voice chuckled as an older man joined the two younger ones in the room.

"Your highness," James said quickly, giving a bow and losing his carefree manner almost instantly while Sirius huffed in indignation.

"Honestly you two! The way you talk, it's like I'm sending him off to his death," Alphard said, eyeing his nephew. "Don't you even remember when she came to visit? She didn't seem all that bad to me."

Sirius tried to think back. "Not that bad?! She was bloody awful! She kept snooping about my room! And her face bore a striking resemblance to that of a horse."

The king scowled at the prince while the knight did his best to reign in a chuckle.

"No. That was her sister," Alphard said as if speaking to a small child. "Lily was the redhead."

Sirius' eyes lit up in recognition and an impish smirk crossed his features. "Ah, yes, the ever-so-lovely Tiger Lily. I remember her now. Don't _you_ James?"

James felt his cheeks flush.

"What was it you said back then?" Sirius continued, egged on by his friend's new likeness to a tomato. "Ah, yes. I think I remember. I believe you said that – OW!"

Sirius rubbed his head as a rather smug looking James whistled innocently.

King Alphard turned a calculating gaze upon the young knight who suddenly seemed to find the long crack in the far wall rather interesting.

"She's pretty and all, but she spent the entire time she was here with that skinny guy that she claimed was 'just her friend'," Sirius said, returning all their attentions to the matter at hand and hopefully saving his friend from having to answer any embarrassing questions the King may have asked.

"Lupin? That was the Duke's son," The king said softly. "She won't be spending time with him anymore. He disappeared about a year ago, when the Dark Mage made his appearance. This alliance is more than a marriage. It will strengthen and pull our two Kingdoms together before we all fall to the darkness. The only way to ensure the union of our people is to establish one first."

Sirius nodded, but he looked even less happy than before, something James sympathized with a great deal.

"Don't worry," Alphard said, trying to sound reassuring as he gave his nephew a pat on the shoulder. "We should be able to take care of this Dark Mage threat before it gets out of hand. You'll be fine. I promise. I'll be joining you in a month's time to arrange the actual details of the marriage."

"That soon?' Sirius asked, suddenly forgetting about the Dark Mage or any of the threats he posed. "Can't it wait a year, or two, or ten?" James also looked a bit put out by this news.

"King Acanthus is already receiving word that the Dark Mage is recruiting many loyal followers. Rumor has it, when you're asked, you either join him or you suffer a fate worse than death."

Sirius and James both paled a bit.

"We've still got time, but that is why we must act fast. The darkness will only spread if we let it."

"How about we just don't mess with it? It can't be such a good idea for you to send your only heir off to such a place."

"Sirius, where, exactly, do you think the darkness will go once it has achieved its goal of taking over King Ancanthus' kingdom?"

"Maybe it'll just stay there?"

"We should be so lucky."

"Maybe I'll just stay here."

"You should be so lucky!" Alphard said as he stood up. "You boys had better get packed. Will Peter be joining you?"

Sirius nodded and Alphard smiled before leaving the room.

* * *

"Are you alright, your highness?"

Lily looked up as a soft voice spoke and a young woman took a seat across from her at the table. She tried to smile.

"I'm fine, Alice."

The other woman didn't look as if she believed that but kept quiet. It was silent for a few moments before Frank, Alice's husband, came through the back door of the small house.

"I don't know how many more full moons that hovel will last," Frank said, giving his wife's shoulder a quick squeeze before sitting down at the table as well.

"I'll do what I can to help you fix it back up, reinforce it, whatever," Lily said softly.

Frank nodded with a tight smile. Lily tried to return it, but she found herself looking down into her glass of water instead.

"Princess, there's nothing you can do. He hates it when you worry over him."

"That's Remus, always thinking of everyone else before himself," Alice said with a small smile.

"Thank you both, for helping us… for helping him and for keeping his secret… and not turning him, or me in."

"We-" Alice started, but was cut off by a small cry that came from behind their house. Three sets of eyes turned to the small window facing the tiny shack-like building just inside the forest.

"They've been starting sooner and sooner haven't they?" Lily asked.

"The transformations seem to be getting worse too, more painful. He wakes up in such a state, and he doesn't seem to recover as quickly anymore," Alice agreed.

"He's always so tired," Lily commented.

"He was out three days last time… and it took almost 2 weeks for his wounds to heal. Every time he finally gets over one transformation, the next one's coming up.

"A fate worse than death: eternal pain," Alice said.

"I don't think it's meant to be eternal…" Frank quipped sadly. Each moon it got worse, it was only a matter of time until the lad didn't make it through one of them.

Lily sighed. "He doesn't deserve this."

Silence reigned again for a few moments.

"Has there been any more news on the Dark Mage front?" Frank asked, finally.

If Lily had any news, it died on her lips the moment a second scream filtered through the window, this time a heart-shattering one filled with pain.

* * *

Remus clutched his sides, falling to his knees doubled over in pain, as a scream was ripped from his throat.

'Stay focused,' he pleaded with himself. 'Please, stay focused for just a bit longer.'

He could feel the wolf's mind creeping into the back of his brain, like a poison, like the pain that was seeping into his body. Sharp, knife-like tendrils of pain laced themselves around every bone in his body, snapping them, breaking them into a whole new shape; skin, stretching and splitting, as it too was molded into a wolf's body.

His throat was already raw and ragged from screaming and trying to hold onto to his sanity, his humanity, for as long as possible. Remus tried to concentrate on something. Anything. He tried to focus his thoughts on his friends. Lily. Alice. Frank. However, try as he might, he couldn't keep focused and was quickly losing the fight to the wolf.

Already thick, unnaturally white, thick, coarse fur was breaking the skin. He could feel his senses heightening. Vision blurred before becoming that of the wolf, peering at the room around him through cold, red eyes where beautiful golden brown ones had once been; sharp claws sprouted from hands that were rapidly morphing into massive paws.

There was nothing in his mind anymore save for the pain. No longer did 'Remus the boy' live as the battle of wills was lost in favor of something darker, more menacing. A void seemed to engulf him as nothing but the scent of three humans not to far off filled his senses.

Blood.

That's all he wanted now. All he thought. All he knew.

Several long leaps, none from running starts as the small structure didn't allow room enough for that, shook the walls. Unsteady though they seemed, they held. And eventually the wolf realized the futileness of its effort, as it always did. And, having no other venue to quench the thirst, the very _need_ for blood, it turned its teeth upon itself, staining the snowy white fur crimson.

TBC


	2. Of Mornings and Premonitions

**Chapter Two: Of Mornings and Premonitions**

Sirius grumbled as he felt something, or rather, someone roll him out of the bed. His screech of protest was cut off as he hit the stone floor with an audible thud.

"Ow…" He rubbed his backside from where he now sat and looked up into the amused eyes of his friend. "I _know_ I'm not _that_ hard to wake up," he grumbled.

"Rise and shine, your highness," came the voice of one grinning James Potter.

"Not before the sun does," Sirius said shooting a quick glance out his window to see the pale predawn light before climbing back into his bed and under the warm blankets… only to have said blankets yanked from atop him, exposing him to the cold air.

"James!" the prince hissed, wrapping his arms about his chest for warmth and infinitely glad that he slept with pajama bottoms on. "It's bloody cold!"

"I could always fetch Tristan. I'm sure he'd love to help you warm up! Then again… you could always just get dressed since your uncle will be seeing us off in less then an hour," the knight replied in a far too cheerful voice in Sirius' opinion. Stupid git was enjoying this.

Sirius yanked his blankets back and smirked. "Plenty of time if you ask me, send him up."

James scowled and moved to grab the blankets again. This time, however, Sirius kept a good grip on his end and pulled hard. The knight stumbled and fell onto the bed, landing on top of the prince who smirked up at him.

"Why, James!" Sirius said batting his eyelashes, "I never knew you felt this way!"

"Prat," James said, rolling off of his friend and pushing him once more off the bed.

Sirius smirked at him from his spot on the ground. "That's right. You're still saving yourself in the hopes that you can win over my bride-to-be."

James growled and leapt off the bed, tackling Sirius. "That assumption would be incorrect, your majesty," he said as Sirius easily escaped his grip. "You see, unlike you, I don't chase every pretty face I see. I bet you wouldn't even know love if it bit your royal ass."

The prince shrugged nonchalantly. "Who needs love? I'm perfectly happy the way things are."

James just shook his head. "I wish I could say you'd eat those words, but I somehow doubt anyone who could be brilliant enough to get you to fall in love with them would be stupid enough to want to spend the rest of their life with you."

He was met with a well aimed pillow, courtesy of Sirius.

Grinning, he caught it and tossed it back. "I'll tell you one thing, Siri, after all the rumors from the previous suitors, I _don't _envy you."

Sirius scowled and was about to comment when James cut him off. "Hurry up and get dressed, your highness. We'll be leaving soon. Peter's already gone to fetch the carriage and your uncle will be down shortly to see us off. Come when you're ready."

Sirius nodded as James left the room before setting about to dressing himself.

* * *

Bright light from the midmorning sun streamed in through the small window of an equally small shack on the outskirts of a wooded area. Remus' eyes tightened as he felt the warm rays on his face.

Groaning softly, he rolled over onto his side, away from the invading light. He immediately regretted the action as he felt the suddenly prominent aches from the various cuts and bruises that marked his skin.

He tried to sit up, but was stopped by a sharp pain in his side from an especially nasty looking gash that Remus suspected was quite deep as well since it still oozed blood despite the passage of time from moon down to sun up in which his other cuts had already began to cake over.

Lying back down, he pulled the worn, thin, frayed, chewed, and barely there blanket from the floor and over his body. Alice and Lily always got mad when he did this as it was usually covered in dust and dirt, and grime didn't mix well with open wounds.

This transformation had been so much better than the last one, with all those hunters shooting game in the forest, the wolf had gone crazy and for the first time (and Remus prayed the last) he had awoken _days_ later in a bed and not on the floor of the small hovel.

Lily and Frank would be along any minute.

As if on cue, Remus heard the latch of the door being undone before swinging open. Rolling over and suppressing a moan of pain, he glanced up to see Lily and Frank… minus the redhead.

"Where's Lils?" He managed to ask, rough voice cracking.

"Dumbledore came to get her. Apparently the castle is expecting an important guest later this morning." He paused and Remus watched as Frank's eyes took in the mess. He no longer flinched at the state he found Remus' body in every month, nor the dried patches of smeared blood, dirt, and fur that littered the tiny room.

"How're you feeling?" Frank asked quietly, as he bent to pick the weakened boy off the floor. Feeling more than hearing the soft sounds of pain Remus tried to hold in.

"Awful," he croaked, voice raw and sore as he shut his eyes and tried to relax against Frank. It took Frank less than a minute to cover the distance from the shack to his back door, but it was enough time for Remus to have fallen asleep again.

"How's he doing?" Alice asked worriedly as her husband walked in the back door. She followed him to the spare bedroom, pulling the blankets back so that he could lay a rather limp looking Remus down. She scowled slightly at the old blanket he had wrapped around him already… only he could think of being decent for them in such a condition.

"Better than last time, though that's not saying much," Frank replied as he laid Remus on the bed and pulling the covers up to cover the boy before pulling the worn blanket out from underneath. Remus whimpered slightly in his sleep.

Alice gazed down at him, with sad eyes as she set the bowl of warm water and a box she had been carrying down. Gently, she lifted the clean sheets and pulled them down just enough to expose the worst of his cuts on his arms and chest.

Pulling a cloth out of the box, Alice dipped it into the warm water. After wringing out the excess, she pressed the cloth softly but firmly against the gash on his side that had caught her eye as needing immediate attention.

Being as careful and gentle as she could, she dressed his wounds, doing her best not to wake him. After finishing, she returned the cloth to the now dark pink pool of water before pulling the covers back up to his neck and tucking him in the way Lily usually did.

Standing up, she blew out the bedside table's candle and closed the door softly behind her.

* * *

"Guys, I really don't think this is a good idea. I mean, seriously, she might remember what you looked like, your highness."

The prince grinned as he handed his cape to James. "Not likely Pete. She barely looked at let alone socialized with us when she visited those oh so many years ago. And I like to think I've grown dashingly handsome since then."

James snorted at his friend, clasping the cape around his neck and shaking it out so it fell loosely behind him. Peter shook his head.

"I still think it's a bad idea."

"Ah, where's the harm in a little joke?" Sirius asked, clipping James' sword to his side. It hadn't been easy switching outfits in a moving carriage with three other people, but the stupid sword… it took him a bit to figure out how to sit with it at his side. "And honestly, it's not like we aren't switching back again tonight. It'll be fun… Besides, I've always wanted to be knight!"

Peter scowled and James chuckled.

"Come on… help us out! You know you want to! I'll even settle for being a count and let you play prince for a bit," James cajoled the other boy.

Peter actually appeared to consider it for a moment. The slightly pudgy, watery eyed boy _did_ like the idea of being a prince; someone who everyone listened to, a person they looked up to… even if it was only for a day.

"Alright," he agreed hesitantly, though a smile tugged at his lips.

This earned him a whoop from Sirius and a cheer from James, as the latter unclasped the cape from around his neck and handed it over.

Queen Rose sighed exasperatedly as she watched Lily walk back and forth, back and forth, while she was supposed to be letting her mother help her get ready.

"Will you _please_ sit still for a moment? Honestly, what's gotten into you? You keep pacing and fidgeting and-" The queen almost squealed as she turned wide, hopeful eyes to her daughter.

"Are you actually anxious to meet this suitor?"

Lily paused in her pacing; all thoughts of Remus' well being coming to a crashing halt in her mind. She bit back the word no before it slipped out. Instead, she forced herself to agree.

"Yes, mother, perhaps a bit."

Rose clapped her hands together excitedly and hurried over to her daughter's wardrobe.

"We simply _must_ find you something _stunning_ to wear!"

The princess stifled a sigh of annoyance, she was, after all, grateful that the queen was no longer questioning her fidgeting behavior. She hadn't liked to lie, but then again, no one, save a few, knew about Remus… most thought he was missing, or on the rare occurrence someone did see him in the castle, a nameless servant.

Since being cursed, he'd changed drastically: chocolate brown eyes had turned golden, his skin had paled considerably, and a significant amount of weight loss from the energy to transform had left him rather frail looking. Despite all this, she mused, he was still rather handsome with that shy, innocent, boyish quality… though she could never convince him of such. He'd become painfully withdrawn since that dreadful day just over a year ago. Lily didn't know all the details of what had happened to him except that she completely loathed whoever this Marvolo man was. And she was reminded of that hate when she cleaned Remus' wounds every month… he was covered, absolutely covered, in scars that he never let show at any other time if he could help it… as if he were ashamed-

"Well?"

Lily's attention snapped back to her mother. "Pardon?"

Rose sighed.

"Dearest, I know you're excited and all but try not to get too lost in your thoughts. I asked you which one you wanted to wear."

Green eyes scanned the two dresses, a dark emerald colored one and a soft white one. Everyone always said the green one looked much nicer on her, made her look fetching and brought out her eyes.

"The white one." It was far more comfortable, and she could care less what she looked like for this Sirius fellow whom she couldn't ever remember meeting though her mother and father swore up and down they'd spent a week together at some point visiting him.

Her mother nodded and laid it out on the bed.

"Hurry and dress, Lily dear, our guests will be here shortly," her mother said, gracefully sweeping towards the door before grinning back at her daughter. "Your prince will be here soon! I can't wait to see how he's grown!"

This time, Lily did sigh. Rolling her eyes, she shut the door after her mother left. She walked over to the window and glanced down at the willow tree that had been hollowed out and doubled as an entrance to a short, underground tunnel that the royal advisor had had constructed as a gift to help make it easier for Remus and herself to slip out to the Longbottom's house.

A soft knock sounded at her door.

"Come in."

She didn't turn around as she heard the door open, but she instantly recognized Dumbledore's voice when he spoke.

"He's fine, my dear," he said, joining her by the window and glancing down at the willow as well.

"No, he's not. Just because he survived doesn't make him and all this _fine_!"

Albus nodded. "As true as that may be, there is little else you can do but be grateful that he _is _surviving… and, therefore, considering all that is possible for now, he is fine."

Lily wiped an angry tear that had slid down her face and tried to smile. "Mother thinks I'm excited over the new suitor."

"Ah, so I heard. She was in quite a good mood when I passed her in the corridor."

Soft blue eyes twinkled amusedly as the princess groaned.

"Perhaps you will get along with this one."

Lily arched an eyebrow curiously. "Have you seen something in that crystal ball of yours?" she asked teasingly.

"I am not as apt in the ways of magic as I once was," Dumbledore chuckled lightly, "but this," he pointed to a small carriage off in the distance heading their way, "perhaps it might not hold the _prince _of _your_ dreams… though I dare say young Remus might be glad for that."

Narrowed green eyes turned to the Royal advisor and gave him a calculating look. "And what is that supposed to mean? I highly doubt Remus will care one way or the other as he doesn't fancy me as you have so cleverly implied. You might want to re-consult that crystal ball, your Excellency."

Dumbledore merely chuckled lightly and patted her shoulder.

"In fact, he doesn't fancy anyone," Lily continued. "He's so sweet, he deserves someone, but now…" she shook her head. "But even before the curse, it was always, 'she's too pretty', or 'she's too nice', or 'she deserves better than me.' I kept trying though… I still do. There's someone out there he's bound to like."

"Perhaps you need to appeal to his _tastes_," Dumbledore's smile was evident in his voice despite being hidden behind a snowy white beard.

He was met with a raise of the eyebrow. "Believe me; I've tried every type imaginable. There just aren't any girls he likes."

Albus chuckled. "My point exactly."

TBC


	3. Under the Guise of Knight

**Chapter Three: Under the Guise of Knight **

Peter shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, his eyes nervously darting between James, Sirius, and the door in which the Queen had left to fetch the princess.

"Calm down," Sirius said, placing a hand on his friend's tense shoulder before smirking and adding as an afterthought, "your _highness_."

Pulling a face, Peter tugged at the tie of the cape around his neck. "I'm not so sure about this guys we shou-"

He was cut off by two loud groans.

"Not again! I thought we'd cleared all this up on the ride here?" Sirius said exasperated as he rolled his eyes at the shorter boy. Peter's fingers twitched slightly around the clasp of the cape again.

"It's a bit late for second thoughts, Pete," James said. "The queen has already seen you."

Peter scowled. "Yeah, and she couldn't believe I was Sirius. 'I don't remember your hair being so _light._' 'I thought you'd be _taller _and perhaps a bit… _slimmer._' "

Peter shot a death glare to Sirius who had been mocking him with silent gestures before bursting into laughter at the reminder of what the queen had mentioned offhandedly about Peter's waistline.

"What say you, C_ount Pettigrew,_ to a walk around the grounds?" Sirius asked James with a smirk. It only widened at the sound of Peter spluttering.

James grinned. "A wonderful idea, _Sir Potter_," he agreed amicably, clapping his friend on the back. "I believe it is best to leave the _Prince_ to meet his lady fair alone. Wouldn't want to be rude and intrude and all, now would we?"

Before Peter could protest, the door to the far right of the room opened. In walked Queen Rose and trailing behind her a rather reluctant looking redhead dressed in a simple white dress.

Sirius didn't miss James' intake of breath when he glanced at the princess. He arched an eyebrow as he studied the other boy's face with amusement.

Lily wished she could be anywhere else at that moment; out in the woods walking with Remus; sneaking out for a drink with Alice and Frank; even the forced conversation when Rita Skeeter had cornered her in the garden last month had been less foreboding. Then again, she knew she'd escaped Rita eventually. This… this would be forever.

Forcing a smile, the princess gave the three boys before her an appraising look.

"Dearest, this is," her mother said, gesturing happily to Peter, "Prince Sirius."

"Pleasure, your highness," Lily said inclining her head respectively to Peter and his three friends. "I'm Lily."

Peter hastily bowed. "The pleasure is ours, your highness," he said, quoting what he could remember Sirius saying on previous outings where they had met other members of royalty.

"These are my friends, the Count, Peter Pettigrew, and Sir James potter of my royal court."

"Your majesty," Sirius said, bowing before the princess and her mother. James followed suit silently.

The queen smiled widely at them. "Well, I'm sure you would all love to get acquainted," she said giving her daughter a slight nudge towards Peter. "Why don't you give them a tour of the castle and the grounds, hmm? And I'll have the cook prepare a delicious lunch for afterwards."

Lily waited patiently for her mother to leave. "Alright, you lads are welcome to walk around and amuse yourselves. The stables are out back if you fancy a ride, and there are boats by the dock if you want to go out on the lake for a bit. Unfortunately, I have to leave your company for now," though it was pretty obvious to everyone present she wasn't the least bit upset by it.

Sirius was more than game for that plan and was about to voice his agreement when James, rather surprisingly, cut him off.

"It's really rather rude of you to ditch your guests when we've only just arrived," he said coolly.

For a moment, the princess looked a bit taken aback, before a strange look flashed in her green eyes.

"I'm not 'ditching' you. I'll join back up with you for lunch. I have a friend I need to see."

"We'll come with you," James offered, and this time it was Sirius who glared at him. What was he playing at? Hadn't they agreed to leave Lily alone with Peter and go exploring themselves? And it was just a stroke of luck that Peter would be able to come with them since Lily obviously had other plans. Why was James trying to ruin that?

"No, you can't come with me."

"You promised us a tour. I'm holding you to that," James said. Lily glared hatefully at him before turning her hard gaze to Peter, who flinched.

"Can't you get him to go with you, your highness?" she asked. Peter glanced to Sirius who shrugged. Lily narrowed her eyes at this… something was going on. Did this have something to with what Dumbledore had said? Impossible, he had been talking about Remus. The words still played in her mind, trying to make sense of them.

"Um, we'd like to go with you," Peter said hesitantly, much to James delight and Sirius chagrin.

Sighing, the princess rubbed her temples as if trying to ward off a headache. "Fine, this way, then."

Sirius scowled at James once more. "With all due respect, your majesty, I'd rather take a walk outside for a bit." James, for his part, looked a bit chastised as he realized he had forgotten his best friend in an attempt to keep company with the fair princess. It was too late now, though, he thought, as he watched Lily wave a dismissive hand of consent and Sirius left the room without another word.

* * *

A light rasp on the door was just loud enough to rouse him from his sleep. Blinking sleepily and yawning, Remus managed to sit up against the pillows on the bed as the bedroom door opened and Alice peeked in.

"Brought you some food," she said, entering the room with a small tray holding a bowl of soup and a cup of juice. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Soft tawny locks danced lightly as Remus shook his head despite the fact it was quite obvious he had just awoken. He eyed the soup a bit warily, knowing no matter how much he protested he wasn't hungry, she'd still make me eat. Still, with Lily absent, his chances of getting away with it were much higher. His nose wrinkled involuntarily as the scent of food made his stomach feel queasy. The thought of eating anything after a transformation always made him feel slightly nauseous.

Alice scowled as she caught his expression. "Oh no you don't, Lupin. You're not weaseling your way out of eating just because Lily's not here. You're eating it. All of it."

She placed the tray on his lap, smiling at his small, slightly exaggerated groan, before settling herself into a chair and standing by dutiful to a make sure he carried out her orders.

Shifting in the bed so that the tray was better balanced on his lap; Remus lifted the spoon and tentatively gave the soup a stir. It was after watching him repeat this action several times without having lifted said spoon to his lips to eat, that Alice sighed.

"Remus, eat."

He continued stirring.

"Remus… I'm warning you…"

A few more stirs.

"Eat!"

Remus kept stirring.

"Please?"

Another stir, followed by another, and when that brought no reaction, Remus was about to give in when Alice sighed in defeat. "At least drink your juice."

A tiny smile of triumph pulled at Remus' lips but he did as he was told this time, downing the glass of juice in one swallow.

Huffing slightly in indignation, Alice stood and removed the tray from his lap. "You are aware that I must inform her highness of your insubordination."

Remus' eyes widened in mock horror. "You wouldn't!"

"I would. I'll be right back," she said, moving towards the door with the tray. "And you had better stay in that bed and rest." With that, she disappeared down the hall toward the kitchen.

Remus stretched slightly and swung his legs over the bed as soon as he knew Alice was out of sight. He winced at the pain in his side as he used the bedpost to unsteadily pull himself to his feet. Padding quietly to the chest of drawers, he pulled out a pair of undergarments and then a pair of pants. After donning the garments, he glanced back up into the mirror that hung above the dressers and the reflection of weary gold-brown eyes that stared back at him.

He studied himself for a few moments, mapping each scar on his chest and arms with his eyes, cringing at some, spiteful of others, disgusted by the rest. He was glad the gash in his side from the night before was already dressed… he didn't want to see what it looked like underneath the bandaging. Having grabbed a shirt (long sleeve…always long sleeve…), he slipped it on, no longer wanting to look at himself.

A flood of painful memories washed over hi as he remembered the night he had been cursed… when he had lost his mother and father. Violently he pushed the horrible thoughts from his mind before he could start crying.

He padded quietly back to the bed when he heard Alice's footsteps coming back down the hall. But it barely registered. He was suddenly tired and depressed right now and all he wanted to do was sleep. Then go to see Lily. Maybe she'd have fire whiskey. God knew he needed some. And some chocolate… dark chocolate… lots of it.

As soon as he was under the covers and his head hit the pillows again, he was out like a light.

* * *

Everything was silent in the dark room, save for the slight rustle of pages turning every few moments, and the almost imperceptible splash of hot wax as it pooled in the holder of a dying candle.

A dark hooded figure stood quietly and unnervingly still in a corner. Flashing of long, flaxen hair could be seen under beneath the shade of his hood as the flame flickered on the almost burnt out wick.

He watched respectfully as another figure slowly flipped through worn pages of an old book, turning the pages slowly.

Marvolo paused at a particular page, one thin, skeleton like finger tracing over the words he read before a frightening snarl-like smile curled on his lips. He paused though, and looked up as if hearing a sound he wasn't quite sure was there.

The door to the small room opened, and two more cloaked figures entered, definitely female this time. They instantly stopped their conversation when they entered the room.

"You called for us, my lord?" One of them asked.

Marvolo nodded his head before ripping the page he had been reading out of the book.

"Narcissa, you and your sister fetch me these ingredients. I want them by tomorrow night."

The girl who had spoken nodded, before taking the page from the book he held out.

Waiting until the two girls left, Marvolo beckoned the figure in the corner closer.

"Malfoy."

The cloaked figure in the corner instantly moved to his side. "Yes, my liege?"

"It is almost time to act. I've found the spell I sought and soon we will be ready to strike. Are you ready to carry your orders?"

Malfoy nodded.

"Excellent. Remember, I want _both _the princess and the prince. _Alive._"

With another nod, Lucius Malfoy swept out the door.

* * *

"Frank? Could you go wake Remus up? He needs to get some food in him and it's about time for dinner," Alice called from the kitchen as her husband came in through the front door.

He nodded as he kicked off his boots and hung his cloak on the rack.

"Smells good," he called on his way down the hall. "Is Lily joining us tonight?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen or heard from her at all today. She's probably been roped into dining with the prince tonight," Alice called back.

"Good point. Remus'll be a bit disappoint-"

Alice glanced up when her husband's voice trailed off.

"Frank? Everything ok?"

Frank came back, a half worried, half amused look on his face. Instantly, Alice knew what had happened and she sighed exasperatedly.

"I told him to stay in bed. I should've locked the window."

* * *

Lily was long since convinced that her headache had nothing to do with the lack of sleep from the night before, and everything to do with her worry for Remus and the intense aggravation brought on by the prince's friend. She wanted to throttle him, count… Pettigrew was it?

Usually it was the suitor she hated, but Pettigrew just seemed to get under her skin for some reason. And the fact that she found him rather handsome and wanted to fix that unruly black hair of his only fuelled her anger. The prince wasn't so bad, a bit quiet, not very interesting… in fact borderline dull and he seemed so nervous. But he wasn't anywhere near the thorn in her side the count was turning into.

"I'm getting a tad hungry," Peter said, interrupting the princess' thoughts. She turned to regard the prince, before glancing out of a window at the sun which indicated it was getting late into the afternoon. She sighed.

"Well, we've missed lunch it seems. I hope your other friend wasn't too put out with us for that. We can grab an earl dinner if you'd like," she offered. Then mental added, 'and then I can show you to your quarters and get some peace and quiet!'

"That sounds great!" Peter replied, smiling. Lily couldn't help the small smirk. This was the first time she'd seen the prince at ease or excited.

James nodded his consent as well and so Lily motioned for them to follow her.

"Come on, then. We can eat in the kitchens."

Sirius leaned back against the trunk of the tree he had only moments before been kicking out of anger. How could James AND Peter both ditch him like that? AND they had the nerve to stand him up at lunch. A low growl escaped him.

He had half a mind to go and ruin their little fun and declare to them that HE was the prince. But then, he wouldn't have been able to go out wandering on his own like this. He had a sinking suspicion that James would have gone with Lily either way.

The prince snorted and turned to grab one of the low tree branches and pulled himself up. He climbed about half way up before settling down on a thick branch, that gave him a rather grand view of the lake.

He fidgeted. He never could sit still very long and just as quickly as he had climbed up, he climbed back down. It was hard for him to enjoy the more serene beauty around him. It was just too…quiet. And still. Sirius liked movement.

And out of the corner of his eye, he saw just that, a movement, a dark smudge moving near the castle wall.

Curious, he hurried toward it to find that it was a cloaked figure. They seemed to move along the wall as if they knew where they were going. And if they knew where they were going, they were familiar with the castle. And if they were familiar with the castle, they shouldn't have to hide their identity beneath a cloak.

Interest piqued even further, the prince made a bee line for the person, grabbing them by the arm and spinning them around. The boy, for it was most definitely the sound of a male, hissed sharply as if in pain and Sirius quickly released his hold. He hadn't grabbed that hard, had he?

The other boy instantly took a step back, and looked around as if frightened. Well, Sirius thought, he should be, sneaking around the castle like that.

"Who are you?" he asked, trying to stare the other boy down, though it was rather difficult with his face hidden in the shadows of a hood.

"I'm… I'm looking for the princess. She's expecting me," the boy stated.

"I am a guest of the royal house as an escort to the Prince," Sirius said, not quite believing the other. "I can fetch the princess for you. Whom shall I say is calling for her?"

The boy seemed to pause, considering what to say before replying.

"Moony."

TBC


	4. Nighttime Wanderings

**Chapter Four: Nighttime Wanderings**

Shucking off his cloak, Lucius quickly changed into his usual attire befitting his rank as a Duke. He walked over to his bedroom window and pushed the curtains aside. Although he much preferred the dark room with its eerily glowing candle, there were times he enjoyed the dancing shadows a setting sun cast room and the ominous light a soon to be following moon would bring.

From the floor below him, he could hear the front door opening. He listened to his wife's footsteps as she climbed the stairs and then stop, hesitating just outside the door to their room. A soft knock followed.

"Enter," Lucius said tonelessly, before turning from the window as she opened the door.

Narcissa inclined her head ever-so-slightly in an almost reverent kind of way. She tore her eyes from his gaze to glance out the window just over his shoulder.

"When do you leave?" she asked him, though she continued to stare at the sun as it slowly dipped below the horizon.

"Roldolphus and I will leave in the morning to," a sneer tugged at his lips, "offer our services to the king to aid him in such a _dark time_."

Narcissa nodded an echo of her husband's unpleasant smile on her face. "How long will you be gone?"

Lucius took a moment to consider. "We will probably wait a few days before making our move. Roldolphus will… _escort_ the prince and princess back here, as planned, and I shall stay on a few more days so as not to arouse suspicion in our direction."

"Shall I pack your trunk for you, then?"

"No need. I have already sent Snape ahead to announce my impending arrival to the royal family with my _noble_ intentions. He has taken a wardrobe there for my room."

Lucius glanced at the now half set sun for a moment before turning back to his wife. She resembled a beautiful stone statue the way she simply stood there looking at him, most likely awaiting his permission to leave.

"And what of your part? Have you begun?"

Narcissa shook her head. "No, I am meeting Bella at sun down in the market. Most of the ingredients should be easily accessible, though a few may take a bit more time to find and gather."

"Very well, then. Everything is set. I am going to retire now for I have a long journey in the morning."

Narcissa nodded. Taking that as her cue to leave, she silently exited the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

James found his walk through yet another empty corridor of the castle to be a bit, well, dull.

He'd just left Peter's room after _her royal highness_ showed them their quarters before disappearing down the hall, presumably to her own room, with orders not to call upon her anymore that evening for she had a headache.

James huffed. He'd almost followed her to find out where her chambers were. It could prove to be useful knowledge for later. Perhaps he could get Sirius to help him annoy the princess at some point with a joke or prank. She was cute when she was annoyed. A tiny bout of jealously nipped at him as he remembered Sirius was to marry her. Not that he cared… he just thought she was cute… right? Yes, of course.

His thoughts drifted off to his friend. He hadn't seen Sirius since that morning and the guilty feeling returned for having ditched the prince like that. And if he knew Sirius well, which he did, his dark haired friend was probably still a bit put out.

Still, it _had_ been Sirius' decision not to join them, hadn't it? He could have just as easily gone with them on the tour of the castle. Then James wouldn't be out looking for him. But James also remembered telling Sirius that he'd go with him out exploring first. There was that guilt again.

The knight sighed. Hopefully he'd find Sirius soon. The prince wouldn't know where they were sleeping, and although James knew all the other boy had to do was ask one of the servants that were wandering about, James wanted to find him first, before Sirius headed off to bed so that he could attempt to explain why he had gone with Lily instead of-

"Peter!"

James stopped and looked around him, expecting to spot his pudgy friend before remembering that he was supposed to be Peter and so turned his attention to his hailer.

"James," James called back, feeling a little strange calling Sirius that as he waved his friend over.

Remus mentally groaned. Now, not only was this strange boy, who claimed to be a friend of the prince, dragging him through the castle, but now it would be two against one.

"Who's your friend?" the one named Peter asked.

Sirius shrugged. "He _says _his name's Moony."

"Moony?" James asked, disbelief evident on both his face and in his tone, as he turned to face Remus who was still hidden beneath his cloak.

Remus decided he definitely needed to figure a way out of this, fast. He'd never been caught before trying to get into the castle, but at least, he thought, it wasn't by the guards. "If you would just let me go," he said, a slight hint of irritation creeping into his voice as yet again he tried to twist his arm free. But Sirius stubbornly held fast to his arm.

"Look, I just need to see the princess."

"Sorry, mate," James said. "Her royal highness has given a strict 'no visitors tonight' command."

"I'm sure she'd make an exception for-"

"You heard the man," Sirius cut him off. "The princess wants no visitors."

Remus scowled, though he knew neither boy could see. "Fine, I'll just be going then." Again he tried to pull free and he practically growled when Sirius still kept a firm grip. Remus cursed his lack of strength after a transformation.

"What? You think I'm just going to let you go sneaking back off? How do I know you aren't a thief?" Sirius asked.

Remus wanted to kick something, and since Sirius still held his arm, he made a very welcoming target.

"OW!" Sirius cried, immediately relinquishing his grip on the other boy and grabbing his shin. James couldn't help himself. He doubled over in laughter, earning him a painful glare from his friend.

Remus took advantage of the situation and ran.

* * *

"Come in."

Dumbledore did as requested and opened the door. The room wasn't very big, but it looked comfortable.

"Good evening, Severus," he said casually.

Snape inclined his head in acknowledgement. "If you say so, wizard."

Albus merely smiled at the brusque reply given. He paused to peer out the window at the moon clearly visible in the sky now that the sun had finally disappeared below the horizon. He made a mental note to ask Lily in the morning how young Remus Lupin faired.

"Tomorrow morning," Snape said abruptly without explanation for he knew the older man didn't need one.

"It is happening sooner than I predicted. They are both still coming?"

"Unfortunately."

"And you still do not know what they seek, I presume."

Snape shook his head and his onyx eyes darkened slightly before joining the royal advisor's in gazing at the sky.

"We will have to keep a close watch on them then. Whatever it is they come for, we cannot let them have it."

Silently, Snape nodded his agreement before turning his gaze back to the old wizard.

"Have you still not spoken to the king on the threats they pose?"

"No. I have warned him to exercise caution in imparting information to them, but do you think he would believe me if I outright accused two of his dukes of treason?"

The dark haired youth scowled.

"Your king is a fool."

* * *

Lily lay back on her bed, enjoying the feel of the cool silk sheets. She knew she should have gone to see how Remus was, but she also knew he needed his rest, and that if she went, he'd have insisted on returning with her.

She'd see him in the morning. It was probably better anyway. With the prince and his two friends staying at the palace, it would probably be a good idea to tell Dumbledore now before she left so that he could better cover for her absences.

There were also the two other guests coming in the morning. Snape, rather unpleasant boy who was not quite a friend but still cordial toward her, had brought news of the duke's impending arrival. Great, just what she needed, more people to notice when she wasn't there.

She hoped they wouldn't still be there for the next full moon or she feared Remus may be traveling to the Longbottoms alone.

That might be happening either way, she thought unhappily. With the Count Pettigrew's annoying habit of cropping up wherever she was, despite several attempts throughout the day to pique his interest in something other than her affairs.

She growled softly to herself. That was the fifth time that night that boy had crept into her thoughts and it only further incensed her. He hadn't even let her get to know the prince, her future husband she thought a bit unhappily.

It wasn't that Prince Sirius was a horrible person. It just wasn't what she pictured her future husband. She wanted someone who swept her off her feet, someone who wanted her just like she wanted them. Someone with a vivacious personality, noble heart, chivalrous perhaps, like a knight.

"Who am I kidding," she whispered to the empty room, before turning over and waiting for sleep to come.

* * *

Remus knew if he could just get to the seventh floor, fifth corridor, the second door to his left, he would be safe. Orders against no visitors or not, Lily would help him. But that blasted duo of black haired boys wouldn't let up in their pursuit. Did he really look so much like a thief? Well, he supposed he did.

He was getting tired. Lily and Alice would have died on the spot had they seen the strain he was placing on his healing body. And Remus was beginning to wonder if running had been such a good idea. Breath wasn't coming into his lungs nearly fast enough and he felt lightheaded. Where he had previously had a rather painful stitch in his side where his bandaged wound was, a cold numbness had spread.

"There he is!" Sirius called as he rounded the corner, spotting Remus catching his breath in the hall.

Remus tried to continue his escape, but after having rested a few moments his body protested and a wave of nauseating dizziness swept through him. He grabbed the wall for support, his legs suddenly too weak to hold his now too heavy body.

Catching up to him, a worried frown tugged at Sirius' face. Why had the other boy stopped so suddenly? Though he still couldn't see his face, the prince knew something was definitely wrong. The smaller boy's frame seemed to shake from the exertion of the run and looked like he was about ready to keel over. Sirius grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around so that he could face him.

"Hey, you ok?"

Remus felt his body give way at that moment, as the pain, exertion, and fear consumed him. A pair of strong arms catching him as he fell and a flash of wide, brilliant grey eyes was the last thing he remembered before blacking out.

TBC


	5. Breakfast

**Chapter Five: Breakfast**

The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when Lily made her way to the kitchens for some breakfast. It was far too early for most people to be up, but for some reason she had been unable to sleep well. Something was nagging at the back of her mind that she could not put her finger on.

Lily took her usual spot on a stool by a side table. She preferred taking meals in the more cheerful and bright warmth of the kitchens than the cool and elegant dining room. Besides, she wanted to eat alone. It was far easier to slip out of the castle unnoticed when you didn't have to excuse yourself from someone else's company.

A girl, slightly younger than Lily with blonde hair and green eyes, carried over a large plate of eggs, ham and biscuits for the princess.

"You're early this morning, your highness," she said softly.

"I know. Thank you, Winter," Lily said.

The younger girl regarded the empty stool across from her. "Where's Master Lupin? Not sick again, I hope." Her green eyes dimmed slightly. She knew he was, though she didn't know exactly what had started plaguing him a year or so ago. He must have gotten sick, but there wasn't anyone she could ask. Remus wouldn't talk about it, and the princess had forbid her to even _mention_ the fact that he still visited the castle to anyone else.

Lily nodded weakly and rubbed her eyes. "Unfortunately, he is. And I couldn't get out last night because of that infuriating Count Pettigrew."

Winter regarded her for a moment before taking Remus' usual seat. "I thought you were supposed to be 'getting to know' the prince, not his friends."

The red head very nearly smirked as she rested her chin in her hand and placed her elbows on the table. "That I am, but apparently Mr. Pettigrew has other ideas."

"Ah. I see."

"He's so…" Lily searched for the right word, having exhausted her mental dictionary of words befitting the man. She finally settled on "maddening."

"'Maddeningly' dashing if you ask me," Winter said and the princess was certain she could detect a level of cheekiness in her statement.

"Dashing?" Lily repeated as if disbelieving. She held up her hand and began to tick off a list. "He followed me around constantly, disrespected my wishes, and wouldn't stay out of my business."

"So, in other words, he thought you were cute, enjoyed your company, and was interested in what you had to say."

"Don't twist my words around!"

Winter grinned brazenly which Lily returned with a scowl. She hated that grin on the younger girl's face. It always meant that she knew something others didn't. Or at least thought she knew something.

"You've only just met the guy, give him a chance. He can't be all bad," Winter suggested.

Lily shrugged and silence settled between the two girls. The princess took the opportunity to sip her juice and nibble her breakfast. Winter studied her for a moment giving Lily enough time to cool down before striking up conversation again.

"So, are you checking on Master Lupin today?" Winter asked, genuinely curious. Remus was nice company.

The princess' face softened. "You know he hates it when you call him that."

"Why do you think I enjoy it so much?" Winter grinned, and suddenly, a thought struck Lily.

"Do you fancy him?"

Winter seemed taken aback for a moment before replying. "Aye, what's not to like though? He seems handsome enough buried under all those clothes. He's sweet, polite, witty, and quite charming. A good boost of self-esteem and he's the prefect man."

"I could set you up. You know, on a date."

Winter replied with a small laugh but stopped at the perplexed look on Lily's face.

"That wasn't a joke?"

"Why would I joke about that?"

"You really haven't noticed, have you?" Winter asked.

"Noticed what?"

Again that brazen smile graced Winter's lips.

"Honestly," Winter chastised playfully. "You'd think his best friend would know the type's of men he fancied."

It took a moment, but when the words finally sank in Lily's eyes widened.

"So you've caught on, took you a bit there."

"I had no idea," Lily replied, finding her voice again.

"Apparently."

The princess was silent, and Winter's grin faded slightly.

"Does that bother you, your highness?" she asked timidly.

"No," Lily began carefully as Dumbledore's words echoed in her head- _Perhaps it might not hold the _prince _of _your_ dreams… though I dare say young Remus might be glad for that._ A slow smile crept up her face.

"But it does give me an idea."

* * *

The first thing Remus Lupin realized was that he couldn't possibly be at the Longbottoms' house. The bed was far too soft, that, and he was certain he remembered walking somewhere. His body felt heavy, and his side hurt, and there was something damp sticking to his forehead. He tentatively reached his hand up to feel what it was.

Pulling the wet cloth off from his head and sitting up, Remus blinked blearily against the bright light streaming in from the window nearby. He took in his surroundings, quickly realizing that he was, indeed, in the castle, and in a nice room at that. His brow furrowed in confusion. It wasn't the princess' chambers, and it most certainly wasn't the servant's quarters that he sometimes slept in. Judging by the size and decor of the room, Remus was pretty sure he was in one of the castle's guest rooms. More specifically, he was in one of the guest chambers reserved only for royal guests.

He tried to recall why he was in this particular room. He didn't remember Lily letting him use it. In fact, he was pretty sure he hadn't seen Lily at all last night. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stretched, wincing as he pulled the barely healed over wound on his side.

Standing up, he felt lightheaded for a moment and grabbed the bedpost to help steady himself_. It's my own fault_, he chastised himself, _undergoing a rough transformation, not eating, making the trek back to the castle, and then over exerting myself._ Like a switch being thrown all the events of the night before came in crystal clear but before he had time to review his situation further the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the hall.

Remus' head snapped up and he turned toward the door as the boys from the night before entered the room. He stiffened slightly, wishing he had left when he had first awoken instead of trying to analyze his whereabouts.

"Good, your awake," one of them said, removing a pair of glasses and cleaning them on his shirt as if there was nothing unusual about the situation. It took Remus a moment, but he was able to recall the boy's name from the night before. This one was named Peter. And his friend was James.

Remus chanced a glance at the other boy to find himself being stared at quite unnervingly. He quickly ducked his head to the side to hide the small blush that threatened to creep up his cheeks.

"You should get washed up before we go," Sirius said finally, a small, pleased grin pulling at his lips when he saw 'Moony's' blush.

Remus' gaze was drawn back Sirius'. "I can get washed up at my own place. You guys go ahead to… wherever it is you're going."

Sirius shook his head, his grin widening.

"Come now. How noble would it be for us to allow a thief to run free? You're coming to breakfast with us."

"You're going to feed a thief instead of turning him in to the guards?" Remus tried not to return the other boy's smile.

"Yes, well…" Sirius trailed off, unsure himself why he wanted the other boy to accompany him to breakfast. He bristled slightly at that thought. "Would you rather I turned you over to the guards? It can be arranged, you know."

"Er, right. That's okay. Breakfast sounds great."

"Good," Sirius eyed the other boy once more. "You look like you need it."

Remus scowled slightly before disappearing into the side bathing room. After making sure the door was locked, he stripped down and splashed his face with cool water before gently washing himself down, being careful around his injuries. He hurriedly dressed himself again, avoiding the mirror and being sure that he was sufficiently covered.

He paused just before unlocking the door as he realized he was a bit excited about getting to have breakfast with these two boys, and not nervous, as he was certain he should be. He hadn't spent time with anyone other than with a few close friends in such a long time. What was he supposed to talk about with them? How was he to avoid the king and queen and other members of the court?

_Great_, he berated himself as he realized his palms were starting to sweat; _now I've made myself nervous. _Well, maybe he could convince the other two to eat in the kitchens… and if Winter saw him, she could tell Lily and maybe he could get out of his current situation.

Sirius smiled slightly to himself as he sat in the extravagant dining hall with his two companions while they awaited one of the servants to come and bring them breakfast. It had been far more difficult than Sirius had thought to get Moony there. The stubborn other boy kept trying to convince them the kitchens were a much better place to eat.

Maybe the other boy really did know the princess. He seemed to know an awful lot about the castle, and last night when he had been running, he seemed to know where he was going. Why then, was it that every time they passed someone in the halls, the other boy seemed as if he was trying to hide inside his cloak. Which, Sirius had wanted to point out was unnecessary inside the castle, but had held his tongue with a sharp look from James. So, maybe he was a thief after all.

It didn't matter. Sirius's morning was going exceptionally well, and right now, a few servants were on their way with huge plates of delicious smelling food. Before digging into his own breakfast, the prince watched Moony pick delicately at his. He found it odd that the smaller boy acted as if he was going to eat the ham and sausage but only succeeded in pushing it about his plate. He did, however, practically devour his fruit, which prompted Sirius to offer his portion over.

Sirius began to eat his breakfast in relative silence as he observed the strange boy, and his mind began to entertain the idea it had had earlier this morning. James, apparently noticed the lack of enthusiastic conversation, and since it was rare to find Sirius so speechless inquired about it. So Sirius shared his early morning epiphany with his friend.

"I think I'm going to keep him a bit longer," he said in a hushed whisper so that only James could hear. The knight raised an amused eyebrow.

"Keep him? He isn't a dog you know. Besides, we decided this morning that we should tell Lily about him."

"We will. Just, not right now. Later."

"How much later?" James frowned a bit. "Siri, he even said himself it was the princess he wanted to see."

"Yes, well, he found me first instead," Sirius said stubbornly.

"Look, we can arrange for Tristan to come visit if that's what this is about. He doesn't come with attachments." James' eyes flickered quickly towards Moony who was still deeply engrossed in eating. For a brief moment, Sirius wondered just where he was putting all that food.

"I don't know what you're insinuating James. But I'm keeping him until I'm ready to tell her highness about him." James sighed.

"Just, don't forget that you are a prince who is betrothed to a princess, okay, Siri?"

Sirius growled lightly and stabbed a piece of ham rather forcefully with his fork before James elbowed him and he looked up to see Moony's brown-gold eyes looking quizzically at them.

Remus eyed the two boys questioningly. He'd realized, after he'd finished eating, that they were whispering to each other and occasionally glancing his way. It made him feel very uncomfortable. He shifted slightly in his seat and was about to say something, anything, to ease his own tension when another man joined them.

"Good morning," he greeted, as he made himself comfortable at the far end of the table. Remus glanced up and took note of the other man's pale complexion and even paler looking hair. He wore the clothes of a lord, probably a duke, as Remus remembered his father wearing similar clothes back when he was still alive…

But there was something oddly familiar about this man's face, though Remus was fairly sure he had never met the man in his life. His cold smile made Remus instantly wary of him, despite his seemingly pleasant mannerism, and the look in the other man's eyes when they lingered for just a moment longer on him gave him a rather bad feeling indeed.

Sirius seemed to pick up on his discomfort because he pushed his plate away from him, despite having only eaten a few bites.

"I'm stuffed, Pete," he said, turning to James. Then glancing at Remus. "How about you, Moony?"

"Yes, quite."

"Shall we go for a walk then?"

"I'd like that very much."

"I hear there's a lake by the forest."

"Yes, very scenic. Tranquil. It won't suit you."

Sirius chuckled. "Try me."

Remus smiled. "Alright."

James watched the two of them, not sure whether they were including him in this or not.

"Perhaps I should go find the Prince and see how he is fairing this morning," James piped up, reminding the other boys of his presence.

"Huh? Oh, yes, alright," Sirius said, turning to his friend. "Sure you don't want to join us?"

James could immediately tell the prince wanted to get to know this other boy, and James bit his tongue to keep from saying 'yes, I would like to join you. Someone has to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't do anything stupid.'

"No, you two go ahead," he said instead. But as he watched the two leave the dining hall together, he made up his mind that he would have to keep any eye on the two of them. He followed them out moments later, heading towards the Peter's room.

All three promptly forgot about the other man they had left behind in the dining hall. Lucius Malfoy smiled to himself. He had arrived earlier that morning and was told to await the king here. It has been very fortunate indeed that he had seen the young, tawny haired boy. Remus Lupin was it? Yes, he remembered him. But Remus was supposed to be dead. And Lucius knew two people who would certainly learn about this new bit of information he'd acquired.

Neither of which was going to be happy.


	6. Learning Secrets, Keeping Secrets

**Chapter Six: ****Learning Secrets, Keeping Secrets**

Albus Dumbledore had not liked the knowing smirk Lucius Malfoy sported as he passed the younger man exiting the dining hall. The old advisor had taken pause as he watched the flaxen-haired duke walk down the corridors, presumably to his chambers, all the while leering as if he knew something everyone else didn't.

_And that is probably the case_, Albus thought a bit worriedly.

It was bad enough finding out from Snape that Lucius and several others had decided to join this Dark Mage with his disturbing beliefs. The royal advisor sighed and shook his head, continuing in the opposite direction than Lucius had disappeared. There was nothing he could do about the duke at the moment. Dumbledore would just have to speak to Severus about it later that evening.

It wasn't until he reached his own quarters that a terrifying thought struck him. What if Lily had brought Remus back with her from the Longbottoms? He hoped she hadn't. It would be most unfortunate if the duke found out Severus had not 'finished off' the werewolf as were his orders.

Bypassing his chambers altogether, Dumbledore made his way towards the princess' room. He was no longer sure that Remus' ignorance in the situation was a good thing. But then again, it had not been that long ago Dumbledore had learned of Malfoy's involvement with how Remus acquired his horrible 'condition' himself.

He quickened his pace. He had to make sure 'Moony' had not come back, at least, not while Malfoy was here. And if he did, as Dumbledore feared he may have, then it was imperative that the other boy avoid the duke at all costs. It would not do to have Marvolo finding out that Remus Lupin was not dead. It would bode no good for either Snape or Lupin.

Upon reaching the princess' chambers, Dumbledore knocked, a bit louder than usual. He waited a moment before repeating, this time calling Lily's name as he did so. There was still no answer. He tried the door knob and took a quick peak into Lily's room. Damn, she wasn't there. That left only a million and one places she could be, but the most likely was that if she was indeed back from the Longbottoms' was the kitchens or gardens visiting with Remus and Winter. So he set off to look for her.

This was something that could not wait.

* * *

Sirius followed behind Moony as they made their way outside the castle.

It was quiet, just like he had known it would be, and there wasn't another soul in sight- something Remus wasn't sure whether or not he liked. So it didn't take long for Sirius to start wracking his brain for something to say, anything but the dull and monotonous sound of silence.

He was always one for noise, but something told him the other boy was just the opposite, and that same something inside him didn't want to scare the other boy away. He shook off the funny feeling that thought caused in his stomach.

"So… uh, you said you knew the princess?" Sirius asked tentatively.

Remus glanced over at the darker haired boy and had simply raised an eyebrow in response. Sirius grinned sheepishly.

"Right, stupid question."

_And there it was again_, Sirius thought a bit irritably, _the damn silence. Why didn't this boy talk more? _Determined to start a conversation, Sirius gazed about him for inspiration.

"Lovely weather, eh?"

Remus nodded. He was trying hard not to stare, really, he was. But Remus had never met anyone quite like this other boy before…and it had been so long since he'd talked to anyone beside Dumbledore, Lily, or Winter.

"Why'd you want to take a walk? You don't seem to like the quiet much," Remus observed.

"Wanted to spend time alone with you," Sirius answered truthfully. He grinned a bit as he noticed Moony's cheeks pink at the statement.

"I don't think your friend was too happy about that," Remus replied.

"He'll get over it."

There was another moment of silence before it was broken again, this time by Remus.

"So, you came with the Prince. Has Lily met him yet?" It wasn't until after he'd spoken that he realized his slip-up.

"Lily?" Sirius frowned slightly, not sure why it upset him that Moony was apparently rather close with the princess. "On a first name basis with her highness, are we?"

Remus averted his gaze. "We're friends, yes. I told you that."

"So you did."

Remus fell silent, not sure what had upset his new friend. Had he said something wrong?

"What's your name?" Sirius asked abruptly glancing over at the other boy.

"I told you already," there was no way Remus was telling him his real name.

"I highly doubt 'Moony' is your given name. So, unless you truly are a thief, you'd tell me your real name," Sirius pointed out.

Remus thought quickly.

"It's my surname. I'd rather not tell you my real name until I know you better." There, that was an honest answer…well, except for the surname bit.

"Alright, Mr. Moony," Sirius said, grinning once more. He stopped walking and picked up a few rocks and began tossing them into the lake. Remus watched for a moment before sitting down next to him. His brain kept yelling at him to take this opportunity and run; to get away and find Lily and be safe again. He frowned slightly at his own thoughts. Why hadn't he tried to get away yet? The perfect opportunity to do so was lying at his feet. They were outside, no one else around, it would be so easy, and yet he was sitting down instead.

Confused, Remus reverted back to what he did best: analyzing his situation to figure out the best way out of it. What was so captivating about this young man that made Remus want to stay in his company a bit longer?

Well, he definitely wasn't suffering in the looks department that was for sure. But Remus wasn't that superficial. Still…the other boy had beautiful eyes that were complimented perfectly by the shaggy black hair that fell just to his shoulders. And those shoulders lead to a very nice set of arms that were exposed thanks to the short length of the sleeves of the shirt. And despite the shirt, Remus was certain there was a very nice chest as well. His eyes followed the path his mind was taking before the sound of a throat clearing snapped his attention back.

Quickly, Remus' gaze moved up to meet the face of the man he had been gawking at. He mumbled a quick apology as he lowered his gaze.

Sirius smirked before plopping down beside him so that he could better see those brown eyes again. "Like what you see?"

Remus blinked and looked up in shock at the bluntness the other boy projected. "I…" He swallowed hard, searching for something to say to explain his behavior but nothing came. He never acted like that before so he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say.

"So, how'd you meet the princess?"

Remus smiled softly, thankful for the change in subject, no matter how indiscreet Sirius had been about it. That and it was an easy enough question to answer without revealing anything about his current 'condition' to the other boy. After all, there were several lies he could come up with about why he was no longer the son of a duke that didn't involve magic, curses, or full moons.

"Well, we met when we were five…"

* * *

Bellatrix sighed irritably as she waited for her sister. How long did it take to find a book in one's own house? And why on earth did they need it now? They had things to do for their master before Lucius and Rodolphus returned with the prince and princess.

"Found it," Narcissa said as she joined her sister downstairs.

"About time," Bellatrix growled before heading straight for the front door and back outside.

"Oh calm down, Bella. We've got plenty of time to find everything he wants."

"It has to be finished in two weeks time. You know it has to be drunk on a new moon for it to work. And he will not be please if the potion does not work."

Narcissa waved a hand dismissively. She knew all of this already.

"Fine, whatever. I don't understand why he wants to turn himself into an animal is all."

Bellatrix sighed. "He's not 'turning himself into an animal'. He's gaining the _ability _to do so. And I'm sure he has his reasons, it's not our place to question them. You know this."

The blonde woman nodded. "Shall we then?"

Lucius Malfoy sat in his chambers at the castle patiently waiting for Rodolphus to arrive so they could discuss their plans… as well as certain other things that had been brought to his attention earlier that morning.

He would've given his plans a once over with Severus like he usually did, but the fact that Remus Lupin was still alive sent Snape into a questionable category. After all, it had been the boy's job to finish Lupin off, had it not?

Well, obviously his servant had not had the courage to give the Lupin boy the potion part of the curse, otherwise he wouldn't have lasted nearly this long. Well, Remus certainly had looked a bit worse for wear and that was a good sign. But it was still quite possible to survive one's whole life with that particular curse, and that was not a possibility. Or perhaps it was. The boy's full moon form could be used to their advantage. But that would be up to the Lord to decide. Not him.

In the mean time, he had his own orders to carry out for the moment. He could give word to his master about Lupin when he returned. Right now, he had two kidnappings to plan.

* * *

Remus for the first time in ages felt the urge to laugh. Although no actual sound came out, he did smile shyly over at Sirius as the other boy laughed without abandon.

"I can't believe you and the Prince actually did that," Remus said, the smile still lingering about his face. Sirius decided he rather liked seeing Moony smile.

Sirius was about to say something else when a strand of loose copper colored hair fell into Moony's eyes. For a moment, Sirius couldn't think of anything to say (a rare occurrence for him), instead biting back the urge to brush that wayward hair back and out of the other boys eyes. The urge to speak came back though when something else caught his attention as Moony brushed the hair away himself.

"Good Lord! What happened to your arm?"

"What?" Remus looked down and his face paled several shades. How could he have been so stupid?! He let himself forget, for just a moment, just why he wore long sleeves and instead had rolled them up because of the sun's warmth.

"It's nothing," he quickly tried to pull his sleeves back down but Sirius caught his wrist in a gentle, but firm grip.

Remus felt a hint of panic creep into him as the other boy's fingers began pushing the sleeves back up once more. He stood, jerking his arm back again with surprising strength for so soon after a full moon.

"I told you it was nothing… just a scratch or two."

"A scratch or two?" Sirius said standing up as well. "There was more than a few there. And some of those looked fresh as well."

He eyed the other boy suspiciously as Moony hid his arms once more beneath the sleeves of his cloak.

"Did someone hurt you?" Sirius asked, surprised at how upset it made him feel to think that someone could do this to Moony.

"No," Remus replied. It was only a half lie, no one else hurt him. He hurt himself, but he was still someone.

"Who hurt you, Moony?"

Apparently the knight didn't believe him. Remus debated telling him off, it really was none of the other boys business. But something told him that doing so would only ignite the other boy's persistence and curiosity further. And, after all, the best way to hide a secret was out in the open.

"Remus. His name was Remus Lupin."

Sirius stared hard at Moony for a moment as if trying to determine if he were indeed telling the truth. Then his eyes widened as he remembered something.

"Remus Lupin? That kid that came with the princess a while back to visit m- the prince?"

Remus' face contorted in confusion. How on earth did this boy know… then it all came rushing back like a far off dream. He had vaguely remembered accompanying Lily to the Black Kingdom but now it was clear as crystal.

"You aren't James. You're the Prince!"

He backed away as the look on Sirius' face confirmed his suspicions.

"Look, it's not what you think," Sirius started, but Remus was shaking his head.

"I shouldn't be here, I have to go," Remus said eyes darting wildly about before falling on the willow and deciding it was probably best if he left for Alice and Frank's house. Right now.

"Wait!" Sirius cried, running after the other boy that was quickly headed toward a tree as if it could swallow him up and save him. It didn't take him long to reach the other boy, who looked winded already and was clutching his side again as if it hurt him. He cut him off. The other boy looked frightened again, like the night before.

Remus was about to veer off when his foot caught on an upturned root and he was sent falling forward right onto the same boy he was trying to get away from. They crashed to the ground and Remus bit back a yelp as his side burned. He'd probably re-opened the wound. He propped himself up on his arms with every intention of rolling _off _the other boy and back on his feet but suddenly found it a bit difficult to breath with a set of grey-blue eyes staring back up at him. He could feel his cheeks' burning with what he was sure was embarrassment and nothing else.

Quickly, he pushed himself back to his feet. It was only a second or two later, as Sirius began to get up from the ground as well that Remus took off again, disappearing into the woods. The other boy had already seen some of his scars and he'd embarrassed himself enough by tripping and falling on the other boy.

He took the long way back to Alice and Frank's. Neither one was home as he slipped in through the window into the room they let him use. It was earlier than usual for him to be back; usually he stayed at the palace for a few days before returning. He hoped they wouldn't mind, but so long as Sirius- no, Remus corrected himself, the prince was there, he figured it would be easier to stay here.

He just _knew_ that Si- the prince would have sent him straight to the guards if he had known just how much Remus had actually _liked _landing on top of him.


End file.
